Press release

World League Pool D: Four coaches, three different aims

The four coaches in Frankfurt from left or right: Flavio Gulinelli (Portugal), Radostin Stoychev (Bulgaria), Javier Weber (Argentina) and Vital Heynen (Germany)

Frankfurt, Germany, May 24, 2012 – After a heartbreaking defeat at the European Continental Olympic Qualification Tournament earlier this month and disruptions with the overall leadership of the team,Bulgarian coach Radostin Stoychev is looking to put his team’s Olympic ambitions back on track with a good performance in this weekend’s Pool D action also featuring Argentina, Germany, Portugal.

Bulgaria’s turbulent lead-in to the World League was highlighted by Stoychev having been removed from his post a week ago before being reinstated. This followed an earlier disappointing result at the European OQT in Sofia where Bulgaria lost in the semifinals to Germany.

Speaking at the Pool D press conference, Stoychev was now fully focused on World League matters and the subsequent World Olympic Qualification Tournament due to take place in Sofia from June 8-10.

“We will utilise this tournament primarily as preparation for the Olympic Qualification Tournament in Sofia,” Stoychev said. “This is a great opportunity. In general, the match modus of this year’s World League is a hard one with four matches but we will be focused.”

Bulgaria have a superior record against all three opponents in Frankfurt, having suffered their only loss to Argentina in nine World League matches in last year’s Finals. While the world No. 9 has a 16:8 win:loss record against Germany in all matches, their World League history is split, with both teams having won two matches apiece while Germany took the honours most recently at the European OQT in Sofia. Saturday will see Bulgaria play world No. 34 Portugal for the first time in the World League, having won their two other encounters.

“Although my team has the same jersey, it is a new team,” Portugal coach Flavio Gulinelli said. “The game-system is very hard and thus, we are here to learn from the other teams. We not only want to play well at the World League in Frankfurt but during the whole tournament.”

Hosts Germany, ranked 13th in the world, are another side with one eye on the third of three World Olympic Qualification Tournaments (the other being in Japan) which they will host in Berlin from June 8-10.

“In general, my goal is it to get better every day and to play better,” Germany’s new coach Vital Heynen said. “And that did start at the European Olympia Qualification in Sofia (where Germany finished second). Of course, the aim is also to win. We have had two missions: first in Sofia and later in Berlin where we have to win against the vice-world champions (Cuba) to be able to realise our dream of the Olympic Games.”

While world No. 8 Argentina have the luxury of knowing they are already qualified for the Olympic Games.

“It is different situation for us as we have already qualified for London,” coach Javier Weber said. “Nevertheless, the World League is very important. We have a young squad and we utilise the World League as preparation for London. Our aim is to play every day better, and World League is perfect for that.”